Nine Killed, Dozens Injured in High-Intensity Nowgam Police Station Blast

SRINAGAR: At least nine people were killed and 29 others injured when a high-intensity explosion tore through the Nowgam police station on the outskirts of Srinagar late on Friday night, officials confirmed. Most of the deceased were policemen and members of the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) team, while a Naib Tehsildar was also among those killed. Several of the injured remain in critical condition.

The blast, which occurred around 11:20 pm, was reportedly heard across neighbourhoods up to 30 kilometres away. It destroyed the police station building, set vehicles ablaze, and caused extensive damage to nearby structures. Identification of the deceased is ongoing, with some bodies burnt beyond recognition and body parts recovered from houses 100–200 metres from the site. Officials confirmed that a police inspector from the State Investigation Agency (SIA), Asrar Ahmad of Kupwara, and Naib Tehsildar Muzaffar Ahmad of Soibugh, Budgam, were among those killed.

Emergency services, including firefighters, ambulances, and rescue teams, rushed to the scene as security forces sealed all roads leading to Nowgam. Senior police and security officials, including DGP Nalin Prabhat, supervised overnight rescue and relief operations.

Authorities said the explosion occurred inside the station premises, where confiscated explosive materials were being stored. The materials, believed to include large quantities of ammonium nitrate, had been seized during joint raids by Jammu and Kashmir Police and Faridabad Police following the busting of an alleged doctors’ terror module linked to the proscribed Jaish-e-Mohammad. The explosives were reportedly transported from Faridabad to Nowgam police station.

An FSL team was reportedly examining the seized materials when the blast occurred. Officials are investigating whether the explosion took place during an inspection scheduled in the presence of a magistrate and FSL experts.

Nowgam police station had been central to an ongoing terror investigation that began with Jaish-e-Mohammad posters appearing in local neighbourhoods and expanded into a multi-state operation spanning Kashmir, Uttar Pradesh, and Haryana. The probe led to the arrest of three doctors from Faridabad and Saharanpur, while another individual, Umar Nabi, was identified as the key accused in the Red Fort car blast earlier this week in Delhi that killed 13 people.

Police had recovered nearly 2,900 kg of suspected explosive material during these raids, including ammonium nitrate, phosphorous, potash, electronic circuits, batteries, and remote controls used in assembling improvised explosive devices. Authorities have not clarified how much of the material had been moved to Nowgam or what quantity was under inspection at the time of the blast.

The injured have been shifted to the Army’s 92 Base Hospital, the Sher-i-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS) Soura, and a local private hospital for treatment. A full assessment of damage to the police station and surrounding buildings is expected to take time.

Senior police officials are currently holding a press conference regarding the incident.